Gas turbine engines have various sealing requirements. For example, rotating components are often sealed with respect to stationary components. More particularly, a turbine in a gas turbine engine can have a stationary structure and a rotating structure, with a seal in between.
Adaptive seals can be used in areas that are subject to varying fluid flow and/or movement of rotating or stationary structures during engine operations. Adaptive seals are dynamic in that they can provide sealing despite these changes in fluid flow and/or movement of structures. In particular, hydrostatic seals are a type of adaptive seal that can adapt to changes in fluid pressure.
Adaptive seals can include one or more components that move or float with respect to other components to provide the adaptive functionality. Such movement or floating can be subject to friction between moving/floating components and stationary components. Friction reduces the effectiveness of the seal by reducing the ability of floating/moving components to move. Friction also causes wear on seal components.